Hinged connection for folder bars



r 0- A Jmm, H923. 3,443,345 S- L. CLUETT.

HINGED CONNECTION FOR FOLDER BARS.-

FILED OCT1 21. 1921. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Nas Amavs.

Jan. 30, 1923. 1,443,345

s. L. cLuETT.

H|NGED CONNECTION FOR FOLDER BARS,

FILED OcT. 2i. 192i. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 E25-"ga :if TFJ' o 6 @mijo y O 9 oo Patented dan, 30, l923 SANFORD L. CLUET'I, OF TROY, NE'V YORK,ASSIGNOR TO CLUETT, PEABODY & CO.,

INC., OF TROY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. f

HINGED CONNECTION' FOR FOLDER BARS.`

f Appneation mea october 21, 1921.

To all whom t may concernl y e it known that l, SANFORD L. CLUn'r'r, acitizen of the United fil-tates oit.' America, and resident of Troy, inthe county of Rensse-l laer-'and State ot' New York, have invented newand useful Improvements in `Hinged Connections tor Folder Bars, of whichthe following is a soeciiication.

This invention concerns folding and pressing machines' and relates morep`articularly to machines `of this character such as are especiallyadapted for the toldingand pressing of collar and cuff blanks.

In machines ot' this type it is common to employ two pairs of oppositelydisposed folclor blocks upon which the tolder plates are'mountcd.Corresponding blocks oit each, pair are normallyarranged in alignment,but with their adjacent ends in sj aced relation. During blocks of eachpair are caused to sweep inwardly toward each other in arcuate paths,the ends of the corresponding blocks of the two pairs During suchmovei'nent all ot the blocks mustk be maintained in substantialparallelism to their original positions; and for impartingthe desiredmovement thereto it has beencommon to connect each end of each'blockprovide for the' simultaneous rotation ci all of such cranks oreccentrics. This entails an undesirable complexity: of driving con--nection and to simplify the machine it has been proposed to dispensewith the eccentric or crank `drive at the adjacent or inner ends of theseveral blocks and to connect the ends of corresponding bars ofthe twopairs by means of alslide member seated in longitudinal grooves in suchblocks. While from a theoretical standpoint the latter `arrangementymight seem desirable, practical considerations prevent it from beingain unqualified success. In the irst place, the cutting of longitudinalslots in the blocks very materially `weakens them so that when subjectedto the upward pressure of the bed plate they are liable to crack orbreak. The cutting of the slot and the machining of the slide barrequire accuracy andv skill which necessarily adds to` thecost ofproduction. As the slide bar must necessarily be of considerable lengthand havev a close lit within 'the slot in'orderto maintain accuratealignment of kthe folding operation, the

thus approaching one another.`

to av crank 'or eccentric, and to" Serial N0.` 509,382.

the presser blocks, it is subject to binding Within its slot under thevarying effects of pressure and temperature to whichit` is constantlysubjected. FurthermoreT incrder to maintain the` slide in workingcondition it is necessary to oil it freely and in the operation oi"- themachine the oil is frequently spattered upon or otherwise brought intocontact with the materialbeing operated upon, thus resulting'in damageand loss.

The object of the present invention isfto improve a machine or" theclass' above kreferred toand particularly to provide for connecting theadjacent ends of aligned presser blocks in such mannerasto permit of theproper relative movements lthereof while at theA same time avoiding thedisadvantages inherent in the employment of a.

character such as to maintain suchr bars in alignment at all times whileat the same time permitting the ends of such bars to ap'- proach orrecede as occasion may require. Preferably the connecting means employedmay comprise a broad leaihinge of substantially usual form, having itsleaves hingedly secured to adjacent ends of the respecttive presserbars. This arrangement may readily be applied to the machinewithoutnecessitating expensive machiningopera-` tions and without weakening thepresser` bars to any substantialextent. r'lhefunctionlng oi" such aconnection is not appreciably affected by temperature changes or presservariations while the employment of pivotal connections betweenl theparts lessens mutualvvear and the` necessity for lubrication, and at thesame time facilitating andcheapening any necessary replacements due touse. i A preferred arrangement, exemplifying means suitable'for carryingthe invention into effect is illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich,

ig. l is a fragmentary end elevation of a machine. having the presentimprovements j 'n applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of the machine showninFig. 1;y

K Fig. 3 is a plan. view of the machine, lthe accidental injury or longcontinued tion n the line such as c-ol of yThe machine hereinillustrated is in general of well known construction comprising he tablel supported upon the leg members 2. This table is provided with acentral, longitudinal opening within which is arranged the bed plate 3which constitutes one of the Icooperating` presser elements.

This bedplate asV herein shown is provided' with cavities t forv thereception of electrica-l heating coils and may be raised and loweredduring the pressing operation by any suitable mechanism. such forexample as the pneumatically actuated piston disclosed in the patent toBrown, No. 1.05354?" February 18. .1913. l Secured to the re portion ofthe nia-chine frame is bracket 5 to which is pivoted the `die arm 6.Mounted upon the free end of Vthis arm is the die 7 which constitutesthe other of the presser elements. The arm 6 with its die may be'brought down into cooperative relationship to the bed plate" 8 by' any.usual and well known mechanism or deviceysuch for example as that shownin the patent to Brown, above noted, but not `herein' disclosed.`

yMounted upon the upper surface oi the table 'and movable inplanes..substantially parallel thereto are the folder blocks 8. 9, 10and 11, such blocks being arranged in pairs for cooperation in thefolding` Yopera-- tion., the corresponding blocks of each'pair. as forexample, the blocks S., 10,` 9., 11. being` arranged to extend inalignment with one another. The block 8 has secured thereto abracket-"12. similar brackets 13, 14,. 15 being securedto the blocks 9..10 and .l1 respectively. These brackets are pivotally mounted upon crankpins 16, l?, 18, '195;respectively,r vcarriedfat the upper ends :ofshafts rotatable in suitable bearings carried by the machine frame.vVl`hese shafts are provided with' crank arms at their lower ends andconnected to each of the cranks, isa connecting rod, the front'connecting rods 2O being secured to a common cross head 29 secured to apiston 23'. In a similar manner the rear pairof connecting rods areconnectedto acrossLhead7 not shown, secured to al piston-rod also notshown. The piston rod 23 is provided Ywith ar' piston at keachendfmova-ble cylinders 245 25, respectively,"as more; fully describedand illustratedm'fn the patent to` Brown above noted. These cylindersmay be connected serves to impart bodily .only by connections throughsuitable valve mechanism with a source of pressure iluid. whereby thepistons therein may be actuated to cause movement of the rods 2O andthereby rotation of the discs with their pins. Such move-'ment movementof rota-` tion in opposite directions to the remote ends of the blocks8. 10. and the blocks 9. 11 respectively. the ends ofthe blocks 9 and 10moving in clockwise direction, while the ends of the blocks S and llmovein a coun ter-clockwise direction. For holding the blocks down.vardlj,7Vin parallelism with the table when subjected to the upward thrust of thebed plate., suitable holddcwn meinbers as 26. 27 are provided, suchmembers being` mounted on the table l and bearing upon the uppersurfaces of the respective blocks. i

Secured toeach ofthe blocks is a folder plate or blade such yas 28, suchplateI being' of relatively.7 thin niaterial. suitable` for engagementwith the material in foldiugthe saine. its the 'folder bloc rs areactuated engaging` their remote extremities, it is'necessary to providecon necting means for their adjacent e.,-tremid ties of such a characterAto maintain the blocks 8, 10, 9. 1l, respectively` in alignment duringtheir inward operative movement. For this purpose adjacent ends of theseveral blocks are provided with bracket members 29. suitablyseouredthereto.v Yroject'- ing` upwardly from veach of the bracket members larespaced ears having aligned openings in' which are arrangedpivot pinslivotally mounted upon the respective pivot pins are leaf members 33constitutinpj the elements of a. leaf hinge. The free extremities ofsuch leaf members are pivotallv connected by of a pin Bel. The leafhinges whichthus serve to connect the adjacent ends aligned blocks arerelatively wide in adirect'ion transverse of the length of such blocks.,and; thus constitute substantially rigid connections in so far asmovement in a direction transverse vto the axes of the blocks and in a.plane parallel to the tablec is concerned. Such hinge connection,however:y is collapsible iny a directionperpendicular to the' surface ofthe tablerthus permitting the adjacent ends of the blocks to approachoneanother during the movement imparted to them by ytheir re spective crankpins. This hinge connection therefore serves to maintain the blocks inalignment at all times while at the same time permitting them to take upthe desired rootions during the folding operation. While as hereindisclosed a leaf hinge' has been illustrated :as suitable for connectingthe adjacent ends of the folder blocks, it is contemplated that undersome circumstances other means comprising; pivotal connections might besubstituted for such hinge proizo vided such means were socoiistrnctedas to insure transverse rigidity inthe plane parallel to the table Whileproviding;` flexibility or ability to collapsD -in a directionperpendicular thereto. Furthermore, While the invention has been shownas applied to a specitic form of folding` machine, it is to beunderstood that its application to machines oi: other types iscontemplated as 'falling Within the scope of the invention.

ill-laying thus described the invention. in a preferred embodiment ofthe same together with the mode oth operation thereof, what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent ot the United States is:

l. A `tolding` machine comprising' a pair oi bodily movable folderblocks and means movable with said blocks and j comprising pivotalconnections for uniting" adjacent ends ot said blocks the axes o'tturning' of said pivotal connections being `substantially parallel tothe plane ot the blocks.

2. A y'Folding' machine comprising a pair ot elongate 'telf-ler blocks,means connected to the remote ends ot the respective blocks forimparting bodily movement thereto, and means comprising' pivotalconnections tor uniting` the adjacent ends of the blocks toV oneanother.

3. A folding' machine having normally nected leaves, and hinge meansttor connectingr one leai to each of the blocks.

7. A folding machine having spaced .tolder blocks, a support secured tothe end portion of each block, a pair of spaced ears carried by each etsaid supports, a leaf member havingone of its ends pivotally mountedbetween each pair oi.' ears, and a pivot pin for connecting' the freeends of said leaves.

8. A folding' ina-chine comprising a pair ot aligned fielder blocks,means havingV operative connection with the remote ends of said blocksfor imparting simultaneous movement ot rotation in a common plane and inopposite directions to said ends, and means for connecting adjacent endsof said blocks, said means being substantially rigid in a direct-ionparallel to the plane oat movement of said blocks but flexible in adirectien perpendicular thereto.

9. A `folding' machine comprising a pair 'oi aligned, elongated folderblocks, .means 'or simultaneously moving' the remote ends ot said blocksin arcuate paths, and means for connecting' adjacent ends of saidblocks, said connecting' means being substantially rigid in a directionperpendicular to the axes of said blocks, and yieldable in a directionperpendicular to the plane of rotationy of said ends.

l0. A folding machine comprising a pair of aligned, elongated folderblocks, means for imparting opposite movement `of rotation to the remoteends of said blocks, supports secured to adjacent ends of the respectiveblocks, a Wide leaf hinge comprising pivotally connected leaves, andhinge connections between said leaves and the respective supports.

Signed by me at Troy, Rens. C0. N.` Y., this 19 dav of October 192..

SANFORD L. 'CLUETT

